


Impossible Year

by Rionaa



Series: We're Lost In A Dream Now [5]
Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Dallon with kids, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Schoolteacher Brendon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2018-05-20 13:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6007534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rionaa/pseuds/Rionaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day that Breezy walked out was one of the worst days of Dallon's life. But it couldn't get any worse. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The day that Breezy walked out was one of the worst days of Dallon's life. He had kind of known it was coming. Kind of hoped for it. But it still hurt more than anything he could imagine. He came home from work one day to find his wife in the living room surrounded by packed suitcases. 

“We need to talk.”

“Breezy-”

“Dallon, I'm leaving. You know why, and you must know that it's for the best.”

“You can't leave. No. No, you can't leave me. You can't leave the children!”

“I can...” she shook her head, tears starting to fall.

“I love you...” he tried, brokenly. But he knew that she didn't love him, not anymore, and that nothing he could say would change her mind.

When Amelie and Knox came home from their sleepover the next day they found their father asleep on the couch, tear tracks still showing on his face. 

“Daddy?” Amelie said, gently shaking her father's shoulder to wake him.

Dallon opened his eyes and sat up, slowly. “Yes, poppet?”

“Why are you crying?”

“Where's Mummy?” Knox asked, looking around as though she might be hiding.

Dallon let his head fall into his hands and pressed his palms into his eyes to try to hold back the tears. He wasn't going to cry. His kids needed him to be strong. “She's gone out for a little while.”

“When will she be back?”

“I don't know, sweetpea. I don't know...” he gathered the two children into his arms and held them on his lap for a while until Knox struggled for release.

“Sorry...” he whispered as his son slid down onto the floor. Neither of his children heard him. He wasn't sure who the apology was for.

Over the next few days, Dallon tried to keep up the daily rhythm for the kids. Wake up. Dress the kids. Make breakfast. Take the kids to school. Come home. Fall apart. He managed to stay away from the alcohol cupboard, knowing that if he started he wouldn't be able to stop. And he needed to be able to stop. If he wasn't able to look after the kids they would be taken and then he would have nothing left, nothing to live for.

So he continued.

It was exhausting. Nothing was getting any better. But it couldn't get any worse. Right?


	2. Chapter 2

Almost a month after Breezy walked out, Dallon went to pick the kids up from school. He waited outside the gates, expecting to see the familiar two heads of hair bobbing among the swarm of children. 

After a few minutes, when neither of his children appeared, Dallon's mind began to wander, imagining all the reasons why Amelie and Knox weren't there. Had they perhaps gotten into trouble at school? Had there been an accident? Why hadn't he been informed? Dallon slipped round the gate and made his way up to the front of the school.

“Hello, can I help you?” asked a woman with a friendly smile and hair that looked like it had just recently been let down from a tight ponytail.

“Uh, I'm Dallon Weekes, I came to pick up my kids Amelie and Knox but they weren't outside?” He voiced it like a question, unsure if she would think he was overreacting.

“Oh, uh, how old are they?”

“Seven and five. They-”

“Are you Amelie Weekes' father did you say?” a voice pipes up from behind the woman.

“Yes I am.”

“I'm her teacher. Brendon Urie.” He held out his hand. Dallon shook it briefly.

“Dallon Weekes. Have you seen my daughter?”

“She was in school all day, yes. Why?”

“She's not outside. And neither is her brother.”

Mr Urie's eyebrows creased in worry on his abnormally large forehead. “She was definitely here today. I can check the register if you'd like?”

“No, no it's- it's fine...” Dallon trailed off and ran his hand over his eyes to relieve some of the stress. He jumped when Mr Urie laid a comforting hand on his arm.

“Would you like me to search the school? They might have wandered into a store cupboard or something while their teachers' backs were turned.”

“Yes. Yes please. Thank you.”

“If we can't find them you should call the police, they might have picked them up somewhere. I can help you look yourself if you like.”

Dallon swallowed. “Thank you.”

“It's not a problem at all Mr Weekes.”

Dallon smiled gratefully as Mr Urie turned and walked away, heading for a door on the other side of the corridor, calling “Amelie! Knox!” as he went.


	3. Chapter 3

Dallon met up with Mr Urie at the back of the school half an hour later. They had searched every classroom, every store cupboard at least twice, but the children were nowhere to be found.

 

“What do I do now?” Dallon asked, running a hand through his hair.

 

“Call the police.” Mr Urie said, firmly.

 

“I- Okay.” Dallon pulled out his phone and dialled the local police station.

 

“Hello, Police, can I help you?”

 

“Hello, my name's Dallon Weekes. My children are missing, they're called Amelie and Knox Weekes, they're seven and five respectively.”

 

“Okay, where was their last known location?”

 

“Sunnybrook infant school, they both attend.”

 

“Can you come down to the station, sir? We will need to see a photograph of the children.”

 

“Of course, yes.” Dallon hung up, then turned to look at Mr Urie, helplessly.

 

“I can come with you.” Mr Urie suggested, though it seemed less like a suggestion, more like a statement. Dallon nodded thankfully.

"Would you?"

"Of course. Do you want me to drive?"

"No thank you, I can do it."

"Okay. Let me just grab my coat."

The drive to the police station was short, and both men were silent. When they arrived, Mr Urie led Dallon to the door.

"Hello? We're here to file a missing children report?" He said to the man at the desk.

"Ah yes, Mr Weekes?"

"No, that's me."

"Ah, my mistake. Now, do you have a photo of the children?"

Twenty minutes later Dallon walked out of the police station feeling shaken. Me Urie's presence had been extremely calming. Dallon hesitated to admit it but he knew he would have been in tears if it hadn't been for the other man. 

"You want me to drive you back to the school to pick up your car?" Dallon asked.

"No, I don't actually have a car. I use the bus." Mr Urie grinned embarrassedly. 

"Where do you live? I'll take you home."

"Aren't you going to keep looking for your kids?" Mr Urie raised an eyebrow, he already knew the answer.

"Of course I am, I just thought you'd-"

"I'll come with you then. That's if you want..."

"I- okay. Where should we start?"


	4. Chapter 4

The pair searched around the school, ever widening the area, for hours, until well past midnight. At last, at around three AM, Dallon and Brendon stopped outside a small coffee shop almost two miles away from the school.

“If we look any further tonight, we stand more of a chance of collapsing from exhaustion. Let's call it a night, I can help you look in the morning if you want.”

“Thank you. I can drive you home.”

Brendon nodded. Wait, when had Mr Urie become Brendon? Sometime in the middle of the panic filled night, Dallon supposed. 

Brendon gave Dallon directions to his house as they drove. At last, Dallon pulled up outside a nondescript apartment building, and Brendon climbed out of the passenger seat. He leaned his head back in to thank Dallon, then froze, his eyes fixed on something on the other side of the car.

“What is it?” Dallon asked, nervously.

Brendon didn't answer but instead strode around the car and crossed the street. Dallon got out and followed him. Brendon walked out of the yellow light cast by a nearby street lamp, and knelt by what Dallon had taken to be a discarded trash bag.

“Amelie? Knox?” Brendon lifted the edge of the bag, and Dallon darted forward to see. There was the sleeping face of his daughter, and beneath her, the messy hair of his son.

“Oh, god...” Dallon let out a choked sob and swept both children into his arms. Knox stirred, then snuggled closer into his father's side. Amelie opened her wide, long lashed eyes and sleepily blinked up at Dallon. “Hello, sweetheart...” Dallon attempted a smile, but a few tears fell from his eyes and splashed onto her cheeks. He swept them away with his thumb, then leant down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Hello Daddy…” she said, sleepily, then closed her eyes once again.

Brendon crouched down beside Dallon. “Are you going to be okay going home?”

“I- yes, I think so. Can you carry Knox to the car?”

“Of course.” Brendon took the five year old from Dallon's lap as Dallon stood up, cradling his sleeping daughter, silent tears still rolling down his cheeks.


	5. Chapter 5

Dallon couldn't sleep that night. He carried his children into the house and put them to bed, still sleeping. He stood in the doorway for almost an hour, watching them sleep, terrified at how close he had come to losing them.

He woke up the next morning to a crick in his neck and small hands on his face. He opened his eyes to find Knox peering worriedly into his eyes. Looking around, he realised that he must have fallen asleep where he was, propped up against the door frame.

“Daddy? Are you okay?”

“Yes, sweetie, I'm fine.” Dallon pushed himself stiffly to his feet. “Where's your sister?”

“She's making breakfast.” Dallon's eyes widened and he headed down the stairs.

“Amelie?”

“Hi, Daddy!” she stepped out of the kitchen, her hands and face still grimy from the night before, her hair sticky with what looked suspiciously like egg.

“Uh, what are you making?” Dallon asked, almost dreading the answer.

“Breakfast!” she told him, happily.

“And what's for breakfast?”

“Eggy bread, except I need you to cook it because Mommy said I wasn't allowed to cook, remember?”

“Oh. Okay, I'll help you!” Dallon rolled up his sleeves before joining her in the kitchen.

Her eyes shone with happiness as he began to whisk eggs, letting her dip the bread into the mixture before carefully laying it in the pan and watching is sizzle and cook, and he realised that this was what he had been missing for so long.

Knox wandered into the kitchen, his favourite teddy trailing behind him. He climbed up on the chair and reached out for Dallon, his hands and face still streaked with last night's dirt.

“Hey, buddy...” Dallon rinsed his hands of egg under the tap before picking up his son and settling him on his hip. Knox sighed happily and leaned his head against Dallon's. Amelie skilfully flipped the last slice of eggy bread onto a plate and carrying it to the table. Dallon sat Knox on his seat, and grabbed three plates from the top shelf, before the small family tucked into what turned out to be the best breakfast Dallon had had in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

After breakfast, Dallon gave both the kids a (very hurried) bath and got them ready for school. While they were in the bath he asked a question. 

“Why did you run away?”

Both kids were silent for a moment, then Knox spoke up. “We were looking for Mommy.”

Dallon looked at Amelie for confirmation. She nodded slowly. “Since Mommy left you haven't been happy. We wanted you to be happy.”

Dallon felt tears spring to his eyes. “You went to find her… for me?”

Both kids nodded solemnly.

“But don't you miss her as well?”

“Of course we do. But we have you as well, and we have to look after you, because you look after us.”

“Guys-” Dallon's voice cracked as he looked down at his two beautiful children, their trusting faces upturned with eyes wide and full of love. “I don't think Mommy's coming back.”

Knox's brow crinkled in confusion. “But why?”

Dallon's heart broke a little further. How did you explain to your kids that their mother wasn't coming back because she didn't want to be responsible for them anymore, because she wasn't in love with their father?

Amelie's wide eyes filled with tears. “Doesn't Mommy love us anymore?”

“No, sweetheart, that's not it, okay? I don't know why she left, but I do know that I will do my very best to look after both of you without her. Just like you look after me.”

Both children nodded solemnly.

Dallon looked up at the clock. He caught the curse before it left his lips, but still sprang to his feet. “Come on, kids, it's time for school already! You're going to be late!”

Two pair of feet scampered away down the hall. Dallon could hear Amelie helping Knox with his shoes and let a small smile touch his lips. Maybe they would be okay after all.


	7. Chapter 7

That morning, instead of dropping the kids off outside the school gate and watching them run into the yard and mix with the other children, Dallon followed them past the fence and made his way up to the school. He headed down the corridor until he found the staff room. On his knock, it was opened by the 2nd grade teacher, who let him in looking a little confused.

“Uh, hi, I was looking for Mr Urie?” he asked her, hanging back by the door.

“He should be in his classroom setting up right now, I can direct you if you like?”

“No, it's fine, I know where that is. Thank you though!” He waved at her as he let himself out.

He paused outside the door to Mr Urie's classroom, before knocking twice and pushing it open.

“Hello?” Brendon looked up, and on seeing Dallon, his face split into a wide grin, “Mr Weekes!”

“Please call me Dallon, I think you've earned that at least.”

“Of course. How are the children? Are they okay?” Mr Urie looked worried.

“Yes, they're both fine, I just wanted to say thank you. For all your help last night. God only knows if you hadn't been there I would never have found them.”

Mr Urie shook his head. “I'm sure you would have done! Anyone can see you love those kids more than anything. I wouldn't be surprised if you were to move heaven and earth for them.”

Dallon looked down awkwardly before raising his head and meeting Mr Urie's eye. “I was wondering if, just to say thank you, if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight?”

Mr Urie opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, the bell rang. His wide eyes turned to the window and he said “Uh-”

“Right, I should go. I'll see you when I pick up the kids later?”

“Yes! Yes, definitely!” Mr Urie's smile was back.

“Is that a yes to dinner or a yes to see you later?”

“Both! Both, both is good!”

“Right!” Dallon gave a mock salute before opening the door and disappearing through it, leaving Mr Urie staring in bemusement at the door as it swung closed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh so hey? I'm not dead? Enjoy this chapter, please pretend it's not been almost two years since the last update!

Dallon stood by the school gates nervously, waiting for the school doors to open and the kids to come pouring out. He was several minutes early to collect Amalie and Knox, he supposed because deep down he didn't quite believe that they wouldn't run away again. He checked his watch yet again. Three minutes. Several other parents were waiting for their children as well. He smiled nervously at a blonde woman leaning against the other gatepost. She looked at him appraisingly, and he looked away. 

The school bell rang and hordes of young children flooded the playground. Dallon slipped through the gates and entered the school. He spotted Amelie almost immediately, and she ran over to him, seeming to pluck Knox out of the throngs of children around them.

"Hello Daddy! Why are you in school?"

"I need to speak to Mr Urie. Do you know where he is?"

She nodded, grinning brightly. "I can take you if you like!"

"Yes please." He took her hand and she guided him and Knox back the way she'd come.

Mr Urie's classroom door was closed, but when Dallon knocked on it lightly, Brendon's voice called back, sounding a little distracted; "Come in!"

Dallon pushed the door open, and cleared his throat, anxiously. Mr Urie looked up from his desk and his face split into a broad grin. 

"Mr Weekes!"

"Please call me Dallon."

"Of course, Dallon. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to arrange what we're doing for din- dinner tonight?" Dallon said nervously, pitching it like a question.

Brendon's face fell and Dallon's heart plummeted. "I'm so sorry, I totally forgot! I've had quite a busy day today, we were making paper ornaments in class and things got rather out of hand! I'm not sure I'm up to anything too formal."

Dallon nodded. "If you wanted, you could come to my house, we could cook a meal with the kids, maybe watch a movie on the couch?" What the hell?

Brendon brightened, that smile on his face once again. "That would be lovely! Let me just finish up here first and we can go straight there?"

"Of course!"

"Just give me five minutes." Brendon bent back over his desk, scribbling frantically, then, shoving everything into a bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he stepped around the desk and, looking up at him, slipped a hand into Dallon's. Dallon tightened his fingers around Brendon's, and Amelie's in the other hand, and, feeling in his heart more joy than he had become accustomed to, they set off back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments if you want to see the date!

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/unexpected-readings-of-poetry)


End file.
